Tag Archives: Overcoming in Christ

I always find it odd that Christians do not want to read or study the book of Revelation because it frightens them. Do they not know that Revelation declares the final victory for Christ and His children? At the same time it declares the final doom for Satan and those who follow him. Revelation 12:11 declares, “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.” Who is the “they” that overcame? The Christians. Who is the him they overcame? The dragon, Satan himself. What is the word of their testimony? The redemptive power of the blood of Christ. We must also understand that Jesus isn’t going to, someday, overcome Satan and the world, Jesus said in John 16:33 that He has already overcome the world and his children aren’t one day, in the sweet by and by, going to overcome, but they too, through Jesus, already overcame. I John 2:13 says, “I am writing to you, fathers, because you know Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you know the Father.”

As we look at the final part of the Holy Spirit’s convicting power on the world Jesus concluded with the Spirit convicting the world of Judgment. Jesus said in John 16:11, “Concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.” The ruler of this world is Satan, and as we see in this statement, he has been, past tense, judged. It’s a done deal. Satan’s judgment is sealed and he has been utterly defeated. I John 3:8 says, “The one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil,” and Colossians 2:15 says, “When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.”

Remember, this conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment is for the word, not the Christian. Though the Christian can be, and will be, convicted of sin and righteousness, the Christian cannot be judged. Why? Just as Satan’s judgment is sealed so is the Christians. The judgment for Satan is eternal damnation. Since Jesus took upon the penalty of death on the cross and bestowed upon us His righteousness, to those who receive Him, the judgment for the Christian is eternal paradise with God. The judgment for the world, those lost in their sins, will be sealed upon their death. If they die separated from God in their sin they will enter into eternal damnation along with Satan, however, if they repent, they are pardoned from their sins, by the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus and will be eternally saved. Jesus said in John 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

The Holy Spirit will not only convict the sinner of his sins and his need for righteousness, but will also convict the sinner of the fact that he stands at enmity against a holy and righteous God because of his sins and is worthy of condemnation and eternal damnation. All who will be eternally damned to hell will first stand in front of the judgment seat of God. At that time, they will know God’s righteousness, and they will understand they are a sinner, and not a single person in hell will be there without knowing God was just for His judgment. When the Holy Spirit convicted me of my sin and of God’s righteousness I knew without a doubt that a was worthy of hell. Recognizing the grace and mercy of God I willingly, humbly, and excitedly accepted that grace, repented of my sin, and surrendered myself to the Lordship of Jesus. Apart from the Holy Spirits convicting power in my life, I would have never known, remained unrepentant, and continued to stand in condemnation. Praise God for the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, and praise God for the victory we have in Christ. It’ baffles me that people would stay unrepentant when it’s clear that they are not only on a losing team, but have already lost, yet they have the opportunity, through Jesus, to repent and switch sides.